Silence
by Here's The Plan
Summary: Voice boxes were tricky things. You didn't think you'd last forever, but still... Falling apart? Never being able to yodel again? You can't seem to wrap your mind around it. [No death] [Angst]


**Sooooooo needed to get this idea out. I've seen similar stories for other characters, but this idea is new, to me at least.**

**Angst warning.**

**_LIGHTLY_ Implied Jessie/Woody**

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It's hard to say exactly when it started, because you weren't really looking for it. It's one of those things that just kinda faded into your normal life until eventually you wonder if you had always sounded that way.

You didn't think much of it, and neither did anyone else. Bonnie didn't even notice for a long time. You all just continued on like everything was as it should be and your slightly pitched voice wasn't anything to worry about.

But, eventually, your illusion of normality was shattered and you realized;

_I'm losing my voice. _

Your yodeling voice, your loud voice, your loving, happy, excited voice. The reality of it hit you like a ton of Legos. You weren't like Buzz. They couldn't just replace your batteries and you'd be good as new. Nor were you like the other toys who didn't need batteries or voice boxes to function. When your voice box stopped... It would stop for good.

You're jealous of them at first.

Of Slinky Dog, who was plastic and metal and didn't need a source of power to talk or walk around.

Of the Potato Heads, who were _hollow _for crying out loud!

Of Rex, whose voice and roar was always provided by the child, or even a recording on television.

It wasn't fair that they could continue on without the worry of being stuck under the couch when your batteries run out, or being one of those toys where it was cheaper to just buy the next model than replace the old one's batteries (and oh, how you secretly loathed those humans) or like you, who...

Who would never be able to yodel, or comfort you horse, or tell your cowboy you love him, or...

Your tears are bitter at first. You haven't cried like this since Emily. And that's when it really hit you how old you actually were. How _long _your voice had actually lasted, especially in all those years of storage.

Slowly you realized there was no need for you to worry. What was going to happen was going to happen, and crying over it was going to make it happen faster.

But it didn't help when Mr. Potato Head said you sounded like you swallowed a squeaky toy (that spud was going to pay for it, you vowed). And you cried for hours after he got the whole gang in on it.

It didn't help when _everyone _pointed out how little you began to talk. How calm you were.

_You weren't calm, _you wanted to scream, _you were resigned. _Resigned to an unfair fate that you realized eventually happened to many toys. Just because you didn't age like humans didn't mean you were immortal, and this fact helped you some. Calmed you.

But, still. It wasn't enough. The illusion would eventually be shattered, and normality faulted. That one play time will be forever burned in your memory; The day you became _defective._

It wasn't like Bonnie had abused you, no. It wasn't a series of horrible acts that you blamed on her for the sake of it. She merely pulled your string. And your voice box gave, letting out a low grumble but nothing more.

The child had been patient, you gave her that. She waited a few seconds before pulling it again (it made you want to cringe, but you stayed steady). Another mumble. And another.

Finally Bonnie got it.

You were facing her when she realized it, and you wished you hadn't been. Her face... It was awful. She was sad, she was lost, and you wished with every thread of your being for her to be happy again; for one more chance to talk, if only for _this one child to smile at you again._

But, of course, it didn't work. She carried you to her parents, pleading and begging for them to fix you.

And they couldn't.

And you weren't prepared for that.

And you don't think you ever will be.

Because you hate silence.

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**I'M DONE.**

**Whew. Okay. So the basic idea is her voice box wore out, not just used up the battery. (Duh Bri, we get it XP)**

Review please.

**EDIT: 'Ranger' changed to 'Cowboy' for my friend. *Idon'tshipitbutshereviewedfirstsomeh***


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